Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1899 — Milton Makeever. [ARTICLE]

Milton Makeever.

The death of Milton Makeover, of Newton township, heretofore related, took from us not only one of our rapidly diminishing old settlers, but probably the one who, in many respects was the most remarkable character among them. He was born in Greene Co., Pennsylvania, Maroh 18, 1821, died April 27, 1899, aged 78 years, 1 month, and 14 days. His parents moved to Ohio in 1829. He married Nanoy Lions Sept. 1, 1844, and that same fall moved to Jasper oounty, and on the same 40 acres on whioh he built his first, log house, he tesided until his death, the fine residence in which his later years were passed being no great dietance for his earlier and humbler one. He was a man of many rugged excellencies of character, and also of many harmless peculiarities of disposition. He owned 800 aores of land in Newton county and 700 in Jasper cpunty, and for 40 years has never been outside of the two counties. He never took a ride on a railroad, nor indeed ever saw inside of a railroad oar. Another of his peculiarities was an aversion to modern luxurious methods of road traveling, and it was always his practice when he came to town, either to come on horseback or N in an immense, but very fine, farm wago.fi dravm by too of

change in his habits in this respect. ’ Until the erection of our new court house, which he greatly admired and rejoiced in, the finest building he had ever seen was the new Odd Fellows’ building,* here. He never bought any land or other property until he had the money to pay for it, and he never signed a note or gave a mortgage. At the time of bis death he was the oldest landholder iu the county, in the sense of having been in continuous ownership of the sv.me property for the greatest length of time. He also was the oldest member in point of age, though not quite in length of lodge membership, in the Odd Fellows lodge at Rensselaer. The lodge attended his funeral in a body, last Saturday, and took charge of the burial rites. The funeral was one of the largest, if not the largest, ever held in Newton township. He was buried in Weston cemetery, in Rensselaer, and the funeral procession was half a mile in length. His wife and four children survive him. Two sons, Jasper and Frank living in Newton county, and a spn Isaao N. and a daughter, Indiana, living at the home pkce. He, himself was one of a family of 10 children only one of whom, and the oldest of the family, John Makeever of Rensselaer, is now living. »•» mm ■ ■ ■ —»